


Do Or Die As The Story Goes

by Velocity_Owl87



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alpha Newt, Alpha Theseus Scamander, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Coercion, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Forced Marriage, Healthy Relationships, Hopeful Ending, Introspection, Male-Female Friendship, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Omega Original Percival Graves, Past Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Post-War, Recovery, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 05:48:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10960965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velocity_Owl87/pseuds/Velocity_Owl87
Summary: Graves is made the fall guy in the aftermath of Grindelwald's schemes while he was held captive. The Ministry of Magic demands Percival be killed for his role in sentencing Newt Scamander, an Alpha, to death.But Newt and Theseus intervene and demand Graves, an Omega, as their mate. Something that Graves doesn't want, since he is still scarred from the fallout of an abusive marriage when he was much younger. He sees the writing on the wall though, and goes with the Scamander Brothers, expecting the same kind of treatment as before.Yet he's utterly surprised and confused by how Newt and Theseus treat him and must decide whether to let himself try and connect with someone again or shut his emotions away.





	Do Or Die As The Story Goes

**Author's Note:**

> This is partly inspired by a fantastic beasts kink meme, but I didn't quite fulfill all the requirements of the prompt and instead turned into its own beast. There are ABO elements in the mix and it also became a hopeful portrait of someone who has been badly scarred and expecting the worst and instead finding some kind of hopeful ending.  
> Title is from Do or Die by 30 Seconds to Mars. Edited, but if mistakes remain they will be tweaked.

The parchment landed on his lap and he picked it up with a barely shaking hand and unfurled it open after only two false attempts. He scanned what it said quickly and looked up at Seraphina, who was watching him intently as she waited for his reactions.

“They want me, Percival Arthur Graves, as reparation?”

He asked, letting the parchment curl back up into itself as he looked up at Seraphina for a further explanation. He had only just been released from the locked ward at St. Bartholomew’s after a harrowing three weeks waiting to be found while being locked in his own pantry with only the mice and his own festering wounds and encroaching madness for company. Surely this was some kind of mistake. Or a misunderstanding. 

He had been across the pond during the Great War and with all the dialects and the regional disparities between the Brits, that would hardly be a surprise. He hoped that was all that it was, yet the coolly level look that Seraphina was giving him was making his hopes rapidly evaporate. He swallowed hard and waited for her to finish telling him the rest of it. 

“The Ministry of Magic actually wanted you dead, even if you are an Omega descended from the Original Twelve and the Director of Security in MACUSA. In their eyes,  _ you _ sentenced a British subject to death without a fair trial. Payment needs to be made and you know that none of the magical communities can afford to be at odds with each other.”

Graves sat back in his chair and drew the blanket wrapped around his shoulder closer to himself. 

“They would have succeeded if it hadn’t been for the Scamander brothers stepping in on your behalf. They argued on an ancient point of law that since Newton Scamander was the injured party, that he should be the one to claim the reparations. And the reparation that he decided on was to take you on as his and Theseus’ spouse.”

Seraphina looked down at her hands, her expression softening once she had given him the verdict she knew that he never wanted to hear. Yet, she had to deliver it or else risk pulling everyone into a war so soon after the last one. It wasn’t fair, yet she hadn’t much of a choice. All of them were disposable. Yet it rankled in her to have to do this to Percival. 

Especially after what occurred with Heloise. 

Percival stroked his forehead slowly with his forefinger as he let the news sink in. Marriage. He honestly never thought that it was something that would ever happen to him after Heloise...died. After that had been the case, he simply hadn’t had much luck in that department and after so many years of trying, had simply given up and shut off that part of himself. He had come across too many duds, or too many others that were close to being what Heloise was. So he had decided to cut his losses and run.

He had devoted himself to his work and had found some solace and satisfaction in it and curiously enough: Freedom. The personal and professional kind and he had found that it went a long way to soothing and repairing all that Heloise had ruined and destroyed in him. He didn’t think that he’d ever be the same Percival that he had been before he had been married off to her, but he was sort of content with the man he had become after. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something, which was more than he had with her. 

And now that small bit of freedom and self-worth was going to be taken away again and he would be helpless to stop it. Just like had been at seventeen. He rubbed his eyelids with his fingertips and forced himself to not show any emotion. 

He understood, logically, why it had to be done. He really did. But all the logic in the world wasn’t going to stop his heart from breaking yet again and the old anxieties and dark thoughts from coming back again. He swallowed hard and forced everything to go back to the tightly locked box in the back of his mind where he kept all of those memories and emotions. It took a bit, but once he had done it, he felt coldly calm and collected yet again.

It was only then that he managed to lower his hand and look straight at Seraphina, who was looking at him in sympathy, rather than pity. 

“So when is the handover supposed to happen?”

Seraphina relaxed visibly at the question, but her eyes still looked upon him in sympathy. 

“Three weeks is the longest that we can delay everything.” 

It was said matter of factly, but Percival could hear the apology in her voice nonetheless.

“I can be ready by then. I’ll need a week to wrap up my affairs.”

Seraphina’s face darkened at that and it was the first time that Percival let himself feel a pang of fear at what she would have to say. 

“There’s no need. It was decided that Lopez and O’Malley would be acting as interim Directors until elections are held for the position.”

She looked down. “I am sorry, Perce.”

Percival nodded and tried to not take it personal. There always had to be a guy to take the fall and it was unfortunately his turn this time. He didn’t play politics, but he knew how the game was played and he had no choice but to shut his mouth and go along with whatever decision was made. 

MACUSA had screwed up royally in letting Grindelwald in the door. Newt Scamander may not have been a big mover and shaker in England, but he was related to Theseus Scamander who was that exact thing. As well as being a war hero. They were counting their lucky stars that the payment had been easily procured from their gaffe.

Even if it meant caging their best Director of Security.

“I know you are. It wasn’t what I was expecting to do, but it has been done. There’s nothing else to do but to get on with it.”

Seraphina’s face softened and Percival knew that she was thinking of Heloise. Pretty, sadistic, fickle, and downright murderous Heloise. 

It had been a shock once Percival had swallowed his pride and told her exactly what went on behind closed doors between himself and his erstwhile wife. Seraphina had never forgiven Heloise for what she had done and had never pushed Percival into another marriage. She had given him her unwavering support and respected his decisions even when she had disagreed with them. 

Like his decision to stay alone, despite being an Omega. An Omega who secretly longed for companionship that wasn’t going to be tainted by the past, yet was too set in his ways to make the first move. She had tried, in the beginning, to get him out of his office. At least until he had finally pulled out the firewhiskey. She had stopped after that and had pushed a pro-Omega ballot through the senate. 

“Maybe they won’t be as bad as you think. The Scamander boy loved those creatures. Theseus was a war hero and highly regarded. Didn’t you work with him?”

Percival shrugged. He may have. There had been too much chaos and confusion to truly recall. The rest he had actively tried to block out. The Great War had been anything but that and the tight lipped, dry wit of the Brits he had served with had done plenty to assuage the worst bits of it.

“Maybe? It’s been awhile since I’ve thought about the war and who I was there with.”

Percival replied honestly. The Aftermath of the war had meant unexpected freedom for him and he had seized with both hands and not let go of it. He hadn’t cared to dwell overmuch on the past. 

Seraphina sighed and rubbed her forehead. 

“No one could be as bad as Heloise. And even if they are, I  _ will _ find a way to get you out, Perce”

Percival swallowed at the sudden lump in his throat at hearing his friend’s words. Maybe it was a futile promise, but the thought and gesture behind it touched him deeply.

“I appreciate it, Seraphina. I really do. I am sure it won’t come to that just yet.”

He assured her, more for her sake than for his. He had seen hell and had escaped it. He was sure that he could do it again if pushed. 

“Let’s hope so. I need to get back to the building. Will you be fine, Percival?”

He winced inwardly at the use of his entire first name. He couldn’t lie to her when she did that. 

“I will be. Honest.”

She gave him a long pointed look as if she was studying every bit of him before she nodded and apparated, leaving him alone with his thoughts and that parchment that had just so casually brought news of his own doom. 

He rubbed his eyes and pushed it off of his lap and onto the floor. 

He’d deal with it later.

~*~*~*~*~

“Are you sure this is going to work, Zeus?”

Newt asked his brother as they read the parchment that had just arrived by the owl post that morning. He folded up the parchment and placed it on Theseus’ desk and looked at his brother, who was writing a reply back to the Ministry in regards to the fine details of the arrangement. 

Theseus finished writing and looked up at his little brother. 

“We’ve gotten the approval, Newt. All we have to do right now is wait. MACUSA asked for three weeks. Three weeks they will get before Graves is our spouse.”

Newt nodded and chewed on his lip, his eyes focused on the parchment that Theseus was writing on.. 

“Are you having second thoughts about this?”

Theseus asked quietly, making Newt nod.

“Tina said that he is very independent for an Omega, that was why she was so chuffed to work under him and have him as a mentor. I don’t know if asking for him in marriage is the best thing here.”

Theseus put his quill down and steepled his hands in front of his mouth and thought about his little brother’s comments. It was true that they had come up with that solution on the spur of the moment after the approval for reparations had come through. Reparations that the Ministry was only too happy to fulfill by demanding the death of Percival Graves. 

Both he and Newt had been appalled and marriage had been the only recourse they could turn to after MACUSA protested on the grounds of Yes, Theseus was angry over what could have happened to his little brother in America, but not to the point that he’d demand another person’s life in reparation. 

Especially not the life of an Omega who he had fond memories of working with and who was as much of a victim as Newt and Miss Goldstein had been. 

So it had made sense to transfer the ruling into a marriage. 

Despite him and Newt both being Alphas, they had compatible temperaments that made it possible for them to be able to live together and possibly share an Omega without dominance battles. And if Newt didn’t want to stay in the marriage, it was easily dissolvable in three year’s time. Looked at that way, it all made perfect sense to Marry Percival Graves. 

Even if it meant curtailing the freedoms that he had been used to. 

“It’s true he’s not going to have the same personal autonomy that he enjoyed in America, but at least he will be _ alive _ to have some of them. From what you told me, he was as much of a pawn in this situation as you were. Both the Ministry and MACUSA are very clear on what they will give in reparations. If you were in the same situation, what would you choose?”

Newt tilted his head to his side, hiding behind his hair in the same practiced gesture that Theseus was familiar with and waited for his little brother to come to his own conclusions. 

“You’re right. I’d rather be alive, even though I may not like the alternative, I could make it work.”

He looked at his brother straight on then. “We will do that for him...Right?”

Theseus smiled softly at his little brother. 

“Of course. You don’t have to worry about that.”

~*~*~*~*~

Percival swallowed hard and forced himself to remain calm as he waited in the foyer of MACUSA alongside Seraphina, O’Malley, Lopez and Goldstein. Despite his stomach feeling as if a deep pit had opened at the bottom of it, outwardly, he remained implacably stoic. 

Despite being more or less bartered off, he wanted to make an impression. He  _ had _ been in an important position in MACUSA and his pride and upbringing wouldn’t dare let him show any weakness, even though he desperately wanted to make a dash for it and hide somewhere, anywhere, than to lose his hard-won freedom.

He had his pride, after all. 

That was why he stood with his back straight, in his best suit and coat and waited for the British delegation to arrive. 

It didn’t take them long to do so, arriving unobtrusively and quietly with only just enough Aurors to comprise a small party. Judging by Seraphina’s look, she considered an insult that they had sent such a small contingent, but Percival was glad that it was just his husbands and five other Aurors there to take him to England to be married. The less people he had to witness his humiliation, the better. 

He also suspected that it had been at Theseus Scamander’s request, since he was the one that was leading the party over, with his brother just a few steps behind and the Aurors beside him, flanking him in case of any attacks. 

It may have been a tad too much, but with Grindelwald proving how easily these things could happen, Percival didn’t blame them for being overly cautious. 

Theseus made Percival take a second look. It had been nearly seven years since they had last saw each other, and time had been been kind to Theseus. His red hair was still as bright as ever, even under the sombre Persian Grey hat he wore to match his suit. His eyes were still the ever changing kind, looking grey despite them being a clear greenish-blue. They usually had been green, if Percival recalled correctly and felt like an idiot for even recalling that. 

He was quite positive that Theseus hadn’t recalled much of him, if his long, thoughtful look was anything to go by. He seemed to come to himself and smiled the warm smile that Percival hated to admit had done things to him back in the days when the war was in full swing. In the quiet times when they had met, he had noticed it. 

He had forgotten that until now, Heloise having been such a dark stain over everything that he hadn’t dared to recall how he had been affected by Theseus. He didn’t have time to dwell or ponder the situation since Theseus came forward. 

He took off his hat and gave Percival a small bow, his fine boned face quite serious as he straightened up and locked eyes with his spouse to be. 

“Percival Graves, as I live and breathe. Never fancied that I’d ever see you again. Much less in these circumstances.”

It was subtle and what Percival needed to relax his control just a fraction. 

“Well, I did say that I would eventually come to visit someday.”

Percival added, the small talk coming easier now that he was able to see what kind of a man Theseus had turned into. Memories were fine and all, but he had learned his lesson in trusting someone without any sort of proof. 

Theseus laughed at that and turned to look at his brother, who was watching the proceedings quietly and behind the wavy fringe of hair in front of his face that Percival knew the younger Scamander used as a shield between himself and the world. He didn’t quite understand the younger Scamander, but the sight of the grown man being acutely uncomfortable and akward made his own reticience diminish and a small spark of hope grow in his soul. 

“Told you he was a clever one, didn’t I Newt?”

Newt blinked and gave his brother a small, close-lipped smile before he moved slightly to the side, his eyes going everywhere else but Percival. As much as it hurt, Percival understood. Grindelwald had a lot to answer for and Percival made a mental note to do his best to prove to Newt that he was leagues away from what Grindelwald represented. 

If they would live in the same house and quite possibly even have a family together, he would have to push his own misgivings aside and make the effort. 

Theseus nodded and turned to the MACUSA delegation, leaving Percival standing with Newt and the rest of the Aurors, who flanked Percival and Newt protectively while keeping an eye on their leader. 

“Your part of the bargain has been completed. We unfortunately don’t have time to spare, but I do thank you and I promise that Graves will be taken care of.”

Theseus stated gravely as he handed a rolled parchment to Seraphina, who took it with a gracious bow of her head, showing the golden headpiece she wore to its greatest advantage. She didn’t need to dress up to meet the Scamander brothers, but she had and Percival was touched by the effort she and the others had made, with their coats and hats being proper and well turned out. It made him swallow hard at the small catch in his throat to see that respect they gave him, despite no longer being their Directo.

“I will hold you to your word, Auror Scamander. We hold Mr. Graves in high esteem here.He will never lack friends when he needs them.”

Seraphina replied coolly. Theseus smiled, despite the muscle in his cheek twitching at the remark hitting home. 

“I can assure you he will have friends in the United Kingdom as well. We are fully aware of caliber of Director Graves. His contributions during wartime weren’t forgotten.”

Seraphina only raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at Percival, who merely shrugged. It hadn’t been important. What he had done. Only that it had helped save lives. He hadn’t done it for the accolades. He had done it because it had to be done, plain and simple. 

“We will not break our bargain, Madame President. Our agreement will stand until death breaks it. With your permission, we will take our leave.”

Theseus replied, his voice light and cheerful, but brooking no opposition. 

Seraphina inclined her head and handed him the portkey that had been arranged for them to return to England. 

“Very well. Please don’t let Director Graves be a stranger.”

Theseus’ face softened at that request.

“We won’t. I promise.”

He replied as he took the portkey from her and walked towards his group, who wasted no time in grabbing hold of it. 

Percival later would have sworn that he heard Tina yell a goodbye to him, but he wasn’t sure and the thought went away when he found himself landing roughly in an alley with Newt grabbing his elbow to steady him. 

“A bit rough, but it will do. Now, we need to head to the Ministry. We won’t be needing the rest of you lads. Good job and thank you.”

Theseus said as they moved as one unit towards the Ministry of Magic, making Percival’s stomach tie itself into knots as he felt the metaphorical noose around his neck tighten. He stiffened at the thought, making Newt’s hand slide down to his and wrap comfortingly around it.

Percival looked at Newt, who smiled weakly at him, but looked straight at him. His eyes were a deeper blue than Theseus and again, Percival was enthralled at the sight of them, his anxiety going dormant at the beauty he was seeing in front of him.

“It will be well. I can promise you that.”

There was a quiet conviction in his words that made his protests die on his lips and made the spark of hope grow into a small flame and the future not look as bleak as it had several hours past.

~*~*~*~*

“There's something not right here, Newt.”

Newt looked at his brother as Theseus appeared right beside the old desk that he had placed in his trunk. Newt looked at his brother and put his pen down.

“In regards to what, Zeus?”

Newt had an inkling of what his brother meant, but he didn't want to voice any of his suspicions until he had adequate proof.

Theseus rubbed his chin before he looked straight at his brother. 

“Percival.”

“Ah. I see.”

He did. He had noticed a few things that didn’t quite add up in the behaviour of their new spouse, but with his track record for poor relationships with other beings, he wasn’t quite sure if he had just misinterpreted things. He hadn’t really had a relationship before and his last attempt with Leta had been an utter disaster. 

He had hoped that things would have turned out different with Tina, but with Theseus and Britain demanding recompense...They had Percival now. 

He had been kind to the Omega, as he always was, but hadn’t tried to push anything else on the man. Not when Newt could sense that there was a deep hurt in him. Something that he kept guarded and held closely to himself. He was all too familiar to Newt: The injured and wary creature that couldn’t and wouldn’t trust after being deeply wounded and only just healed from it. 

“I’m a bit concerned about him. He is quite different than the man I knew from the war. Markedly so.”

This perked up Newt’s interest. 

“How so?”

Theseus’s brows furrowed as he tried to pin down exactly why he felt that way.

“There is...a remoteness about him. He wasn’t the most effusive of individuals, but he is far too reserved. Far too wary. As if he’s expecting something quite horrible to happen. He is far, far too quiet. Why, he makes you look positively chatty.”

Newt smiled at that. He wasn’t always one for conversation. That was Theseus. But he had to agree that Percival made Newt seem outgoing. 

He was warm enough. Smiled, but only barely. His dark brown eyes, which always seemed sad, sometimes seemed downright sorrowful. In so many ways, he was the perfect Omega: conscientious, demure, warm and charming. 

He was friendly enough, but it was an absent kind of friendliness that had started to worry Newt. He had hoped, as had his brother, that in time they would be able to develop some kind of relationship with Percival. So far, nothing concrete materialised. 

Even though there were times that Newt was sure that it was on the verge of happening, it never quite materialised. Logically, he understood time was needed and he had a suspicion that Percival believed he was doing Newt a favour by staying away. Even though both were fully aware that he wasn’t Grindelwald, Newt hadn’t found the right time to set things right.

He had to admit that he appreciated the space and he did have a book to finish.

But now that his brother mentioned his concerns, Newt began to wonder if he was adding to the problem. 

“Maybe he is still awkward about settling. England and New York are miles apart. Society here is different. He also must be feeling the loss of his job. I’m sure that going from being the head of security to being a house Omega would take its toll on anyone.”

Theseus shook his head. 

“Although those are all quite plausible...I can’t help but to think that there’s more to his behaviour than just that.”

He paused and rubbed his jaw as he tried to pin down why he felt that way. 

“In fact, If I was to make an observation, I’d say that he is afraid of us and what we  _ could _ potentially do to him.”

Newt felt as if he had been struck himself at his brother’s words. It was true that Theseus had to engage in violence from time to time. It was the nature of his work. He himself hadn’t unless it was a last recourse. Neither of the brothers had ever even  _ thought _ of striking or harming an Omega in anyway. The thought of another Alpha out there doing that made Newt’s chest hurt. 

But if Percival was

“Was he bonded or married before?”

Newt asked, hoping that maybe this could give them a possible hint to finding a solution to this situation. 

“Yes. It was a brief marriage to a female Alpha.”

Theseus replied, his eyes widening as he looked at Newt and saw the same realisation hitting him. 

“Bloody hell.”

~*~*~*~

Percival counted the days on the calendar and swore quietly as he came up with the same date again. 

He was due for a heat in the next week and he knew what they would want. Despite the kindness and understanding that they had shown him, he knew that they would eventually demand payment. All Alphas eventually did. 

He dreaded the day that it would happen, but he hadn’t a choice. They would take whatever they wanted from him. That was how the world operated. 

He breathed deeply as he forced himself to calm down. The last thing he needed was to make his heat arrive earlier through stress. The longer he could put off their demands, the better it would go for him. 

Logically, he was all too aware that he may have been punishing them for crimes Heloise committed against him. He hadn’t seen any proof of them being like her in anything. 

Newt and Theseus, in all the months that they had lived together, had been nothing but civility personified. Neither of them had done anything that would have made Percival suspicious and they treated him with warm, if somewhat awkward (in Newt’s case) cordiality. 

Theseus was a bit distant, but Percival understood that it came from the necessity borne out of working law enforcement. It was a must, if an Auror was going to survive in the job. He didn’t mind it, since he had seen it in himself and the Aurors that had worked under him in New York. 

He was also far too aware that Theseus was unlike his Alpha colleagues in that he’d run cases by him and occasionally bring him into the Ministry and use the fact that he was visiting as a pretext. No one questioned it, since Theseus played it off as getting his American born mate acclimated with the laws in England. 

Percival frowned at the memory of the other Aurors, mostly Alphas and Betas, gawking as they had entered the office. 

They treated him with the respect due to the Omega mate of one of their superiors, but Percival could see how they would question how an Omega managed to be the Director of Security in America. He could also see their superiority complex appearing and then disappearing when he would catch something that they had missed. 

He hadn’t forgotten the flash of pride on Theseus’ face when that happened, or the way that he’d squeeze his shoulder on his way to the canteen to get cups of tea for both of them. 

At the thought of the last time that they had tea together, Percival felt his cheeks warm up as he then decided that tea would be good at that moment. 

He walked away from the calendar and went to the kitchen to get himself a cup of tea, something that he had developed an affinity for lately. It amused him to no end that this had happened. He suspected that it had been Theseus’ doing. 

Just like actually growing fond of the thieving Niffler despite having to retrieve his watch from him at least once a week. 

Or learning how to see the Nundu as a magnificent creature rather than a murdering beast. 

He knew that he wouldn’t have made the transition without watching Newt’s patient care and devotion to the menagerie that he carried in his suitcase. 

In fact, that was how he saw him if he closed his eyes: Newt feeding the mooncalves and petting their heads, tickling the Niffler after taking a few of his treats to ease the sting of loss, his patient combing out of Dougal’s fine fur. 

The soft way that his eyes would glow whenever Percival would come into the suitcase to inform him that he and Theseus had returned and dinner would be cooking shortly. 

Percival clutched at the canister of tea leaves, his fingers going numb as he realised what he had just been thinking about. 

He took a deep breath and steadied his nerves by an almost supreme force of will. He wouldn’t let himself think about them like that. 

Madness and heartbreak lay that way, even if his heart didn’t seem quite as convinced as his head. 

~*~*~*~

Newt woke up abruptly when Dougal shook his shoulder. He blinked and rubbed his eyes to dispel the bleariness that always occurred when he had just woken up. He blinked again, wondering why the demiguise was at his elbow when it hit him: The scent of ripe apples hit him suddenly and he found himself both salivating and growling at it. 

Once he caught himself growling, he shook his head. Growling? Since when did he growl at the scent of food? 

“Oh Bloody hell.”

He murmured when it hit him. Of course it wasn’t  _ food. _

He was reacting to an Omega’s  _ heat _ .

More specifically,  _ Percival’s _ heat. 

He knew he wasn’t the most in touch with his Alpha senses, that he ignored them until they interfered with his ordered life. He had only relied on his instincts to get him out of danger, but hadn’t explored the social aspects of them. 

Part of him wanted to go and claim him, mark him, make love to him and mark him with his own scent of wintergreen. Have him moaning his name as he took him over and over again and bred him. Already, he could see-

Newt shook his head to snap out of his fantasies. 

There was no way that he could do that right now. 

Even if Percival was theirs in the eyes of the law, he wouldn’t and couldn’t do that to his mate.

Percival hadn’t given anything remotely appearing as consent to him or his brother. 

Nor had he given any hint that he’d reciprocate if he was touched. 

Yes, he’d come a long way since they had arrived in England, smiling a bit more and even accepting some touches and not stiffening or drawing away like he had in the past. Even if he did get to the point of being heat maddened, he wasn’t going to go in and demand anything from him. He couldn’t hurt Percival like that. 

He wouldn’t. 

Having decided on a resolution, he left the suitcase and his study. Stopping in the kitchen, he made sure to fill up a thermos and grab a packet of biscuits and some dried fruit he found while rummaging around in the cupboards. 

He made a mental note to get to the grocer’s if Percival’s heat lasted more than four days as well as to check in with Theseus before he came home. That’s if he was coming home. 

Theseus had been called away on a particularly tricky assignment and from experience, Newt would be left on his own for a week. Or maybe two if the pattern held. He hoped so in this case. Theseus had excellent control, but the strain of two Alphas in a small confined space with an unbonded Omega would see them tearing each other apart or traumatising Percival. 

No. He’d send an owl to his brother and lock himself up in the case after he had delivered the supplies to Percival. 

Having decided on this course of action, he went to Percival’s room and knocked on the door. 

“Yes?”

Came the strained query that barely was audible through the thick oak door. 

“I wanted to let you know that there is food and water outside your door in case you need it. I shall be in my suitcase for the remainder of the time also.”

There was silence as Newt put down the thermos and the food in front of the door. 

The silence remained until he was on his way. 

_ “Thank you.” _

~*~*~*~*~

Theseus had just finished the last of his pint and was about to signal for another one when a note appeared out of nowhere and landed by his elbow. He looked around to make sure that no one had seen it appear and slipped it into his pocket. It was then he looked up and gave a small nod to the owl who was flying overhead. 

Once he was sure that no one had seen anything, he signalled for another pint and casually pulled out the parchment, glad that Newt used the kind that looked like worn notebook paper. 

“Here you go.” 

He nodded his thanks to the bartender and paid him for the pint before he started to read the note his brother had written. 

_ “Dear Theseus,  _

_ I hope things are well in Scotland. I’m writing to let you know Percival has started his heat and I felt it would be prudent to inform you of the fact so that you may take the proper precautions. I also believe that once matters settle, it would be the best time to have a discussion with our mate.  _

_ Newt.” _

Theseus folded the note up again and took a long swallow of his pint. 

As much as he hated being away from London, he had to admit that it had come at an opportune time. 

He glanced at the suitcase that contained the file he had called up a few favours to obtain. 

It would give him time to come to terms with everything he had found on Percival and Heloise Van de Berg.

~*~*~*~*~

Percival found himself lying in a sticky, dirty bed and the curtains only just barely opened to let the sunlight into his room. He squeezed his eyes shut at the darkish light that entered the room and opened them again, glad that there was no sunlight to cause him agony. 

His head hurt a bit from a bit of dehydration and his stomach rumbled in hunger. He rolled over, wincing at the stale feel of the disgusting sheets and looked at the calendar he had the presence of mind to mark before the heat had consumed his higher brain functions. Only three days that time. That was good. 

He figured it must have been the steady influence of an Alpha nearby. His fresh scent of rose water and cedar had helped ground him through the worst of it. Paradoxically, it had helped him from going out and presenting himself to him. 

Even though he was sure that wasn’t going to happen in any possible way, since he had managed to lock the door and Newt had locked himself up in his suitcase and Theseus was...Not there. 

He couldn’t feel or scent the other Alpha’s fresh scent that reminded him a bit of Pears soap anywhere in the place and he felt relieved at that. Despite being covered in his own fluids, nursing a slight headache, needing to do laundry and ravenous, he was relieved. 

And hopeful. 

They hadn’t lied to him when they had told him that things would be alright. They had kept their word to him and he knew then that maybe with the Scamander brothers, he’d be able to have some sort of future.

It was with this fresh and small optimism that Graves managed to shakily get out of his bed, slip on a robe and head to the bath.

~*~*~*~*

Newt’s eyes were sad and deep as he closed the file that his brother had placed on the scarred table that was Newt’s desk. Theseus cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pocket as he waited for his brother to speak. 

“It definitely explained why he sounded so tense when I left the food for him. He no doubt was expecting me to do the same thing that Heloise did to him on his first heat.”

Newt whispered, filled with empathy and revulsion at the thought of seventeen year old Percival helpless under the influence of his heat being blatantly abused by the person pledged to protect him. Newt covered his mouth and tried to not let himself think of the possible aftermath and how much that would have destroyed Percival. How it would have shaped him into being the quiet and self-possessed man that he was today. 

Theseus himself sighed heavily as he took the file and put it back in his satchel.

He suspected his brother had the same thoughts running through his head as he had the moment he had finished reading the file. How much of Heloise’s abuse had shaped Graves into the man he was with them? How much of her poisonous cruelty had shaped him to seek out justice and have that much compassion for everyone except himself? Would he have been the same if he hadn’t been forced into a marriage at such a young age?

There were no ready answers to these questions. Theseus also doubted that there were actually any  _ answers _ at all. There was no point in dredging up the past, since they had to deal with the now. 

And the now was that Percival was finished his heat and they all needed to sit down and discuss what would happen next. 

If staying together was the best thing, or if Percival would like to walk away from them instead. Keep up the farce of a mating, but live his own life. 

The last made his heart ache a bit. He liked Percival and knew that in time, there could be something else than just platonic love between them. 

And judging by the look on his brother’s expressive face, he was no doubt thinking the same. 

“If he asked us to go...Could you let him?”

Newt bit his lip and shook his head.

“I wouldn’t want to, but I’d respect his wishes. He was kept as a prisoner for years. I free creatures that have been abused. Why would I do it to my mate? But yes. I would let him leave.”

He looked at his brother. 

“Do you want him to?”

Theseus bit his lower lip before he replied. “No. But if we talk and he decides to, I’d respect his wishes. He isn’t mine, despite what the laws say.”

~*~*~*~*

They had just finished setting the table for tea when Percival came into the kitchen. His face was slightly drawn and there were hollows under his eyes and no doubt would go away once he was back to his regular routine. The crisp apple scent was fading now and he was clean and impeccable as always. 

But there was something else to him. A sense of calm and openness that hadn’t been as prevalent as it was now. It helped put the Scamanders at ease and made their earlier fears of having to give up their Omega to rest. 

Newt straightened up from the table and smiled at Percival.

A smile that was small and shy, but held so much warmth in it all for him that Percival couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Tea, Perce?”

Theseus asked, his eyes crystalline and bright. 

“Please.”

Percival replied as he made his way to the table and sat between the brothers, his back against the wall of the small kitchen and watched as Theseus poured him a mug of tea and Newt brought over the toast that had been waiting on the counter. 

“I trust you’re better?”

Theseus asked lightly.

“Yes, I am. It came earlier than I had expected, so I apologise for the inconvenience.”

Percival murmured as he took a sip of the tea that was still strong despite the milk in it. 

Theseus and Newt looked at each other in alarm at that statement. 

“Why do you have to apologise? It’s a natural process. We will take better precautions for you to be comfortable when it happens again, that is all.”

Newt cleared his throat and looked straight at Percival before he continued.

“Unless you feel comfortable sharing your heat with us in the future sometime?”

Percival’s eyes widened and his hand shook, making Theseus wonder if the mug would drop out of his hand. It never happened, but Percival had the same thought and put it down on the table. 

“You are leaving it up to me when I share my heat?”

Percival asked quietly, in a voice barely above a whisper. 

“Perce...You may belong to us on paper, but you are your own person. We’d never dream of taking you by force or coercion. Unless we have explicit consent to stay with you during your heat, we won’t come near.”

Percival nodded and covered his mouth with his hand as he took in the words. 

“I...I...I haven’t been asked that before. Heloise...She just…”

Theseus and Newt shared another look at the name, but didn’t move or talk and simply waited for Percival to continue what he needed to say. 

“Heloise was my mate. We got married young. An arranged marriage between old families wanting to cement business deals or get new pureblood into the family. She...She...Did things that I later found out weren’t normal in a relationship. She never gave me a choice. She just told me what to do and if I didn’t…”

It was only when Percival folded into himself that Newt slowly came up to him and loosely embraced him. He expected for Percival to be stiff or to push him away. To have him sink into the comfort that Newt offered was the last thing that he had expected. He held him until he was calm enough to continue. 

“How did you come to be in England with such an Alpha, then?”

Theseus asked, pitching his voice low and in a neutral tone to keep Percival talking. He had the report and he had his suspicions, but he needed to hear it from Percival himself. 

“She was fighting and didn’t trust me to stay faithful to her in the states. She also needed me as her second set of eyes on detail.”

Theseus nodded, another piece of the puzzle clicking into place. He had recognised Percival’s work in what Heloise had handed in before the war. He hadn’t ever personally worked with her, but he knew of it. He had come to be familiar with it as the war raged on. It hadn’t been obvious until he had started to work with Percival again. 

“She thought that I had been improper with an officer, and that was far from the truth and she-”

Percival abruptly cut himself off and Newt murmured soothing nonsense to calm him down. 

“You don’t have to tell us.”

Percival shook his head and swallowed hard.

“I know, but I want to.” He took a deep breath and exhaled it and continued.

“He came looking for us, knowing that something was wrong. He was a No-Maj and when he saw what was happening, he shot her.”

He smiled bleakly. 

“It was war-time. No one questioned what happened. I was given a pension and more freedom than I’d ever had in years.”

He cleared his throat and Theseus pushed his mug towards him.

“You know the rest.”

Theseus and Newt nodded. 

“I know neither of you are her. I know that at first, I was punishing you because of what she had done. I didn’t give you a chance. I had seen a pattern and expected it to be repeated.”

Theseus smirked. 

“It makes sense in our line of work.”

Percival smiled tightly. 

“But not in a relationship. And certainly not with you and Newt.”

Newt purred an agreement, making Percival sigh. 

“We won’t pressure you, Perce. We...we want things to work. Whether it is living separate-”

Percival shook his head. 

“No. That won’t be necessary. I don’t know when it will happen, but I  _ want _ to stay with both of you.”

Theseus tamped down the small curl of pleasure that Percival’s words sparked in him. There would be enough time for that later. Newt had no compunction and chirped happily, planting a soft kiss on Percival’s still wet hair.

“The sentiment stands: We want you as our partner, Perce.”

Percival gently disentangled himself from Newt and wiped at his suspiciously glassy eyes while he laughed wetly. 

“I want that too. Newt?”

Newt ducked his head at the question.

“Of course.”

~*~*~*~*~

Theseus was writing the last of the reports before he called it a night. His quill scratched quietly against the parchment while Newt put the kettle on to boil in the cold kitchen, since neither of them had expected winter to come in so soon. 

They didn’t mind, just piled jumpers on. Percival hadn’t said much either way, being strangely quiet during dinner. Although it worried him and Newt, they decided that unless it dragged on to the next day, that it would be for the best to give him space. 

Percival had come a long way in opening up after that conversation, but neither Theseus or Newt wanted to push him. So they gave him space as needed and went on their way. They never wanted to overcrowd him or be overbearing. So they waited and eventually, Percival would come around. 

“Tea, Zeus?”

Newt asked as he fished around for the canister. 

“Hmm? Yes, please.”

“Cream?”

He didn’t get an answer to that since Percival appeared in the kitchen, his face flushed, his body concealed only a robe, and the sharp scent of apples in the air. 

Newt dropped the canister and Theseus stood up from the table.

The kitchen was silent as they waited for Percival to speak. 

“I need you. Please.”

It was all that they needed to come to him and take him to the bedroom. Newt ripped off the sheets and blankets while Theseus kissed Percival and one handedly ripped off his clothes. Newt yowled and all rational thought went out of their minds as they laid Percival down between them carefully, gently, as if he were made of the finest china.

“Do you trust us, Perce?”

Newt had asked, his eyes dark with the effort of only just keeping his urges at bay. Theseus too, was biting the inside of his wrist to keep himself from doing anything just yet. He was close, but he didn’t want to traumatise Percival and possibly break him again.

Percival’s eyes were completely black as he nodded.

“ _ Yes.” _

Neither of them clearly recalled what had happened the next day that found them curled up around a well sated Percival whose pale body was littered with scratches and bite marks. The scent of soap, rosewater and apples hung in the air and Theseus felt drowsy and warm as he came to and looked at his Omega and his brother. 

He looked at the clock and saw it was six in the morning and kissed Percival and touched his brother before going back to sleep, safe and surrounded by his mate and his brother.

There would be time enough for the real world to intrude. 

END.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Percival-I see him in this as basically pouring himself into his work and being quiet and closed off with very few friendships. It's not that he's a misanthrope, but he's been so hurt before that he'd rather not ever get himself into such a vulnerable position ever again. He does get lonely, but he'd rather put up with one sort of pain than the other. Yes, his middle name is Arthur. Yes, I love Arthurian legend.  
> Theseus-I picture him a whole lot like Sam Heughan, so he's still that here.  
> Newt-He's also closed off from his own instincts, so he's kind of the passive Alpha and hence they can make it work without him or Theseus getting super aggressive.


End file.
